Daily Times

Weather and climate change around the globe is a pressing issue and its impacts would be devastating for the inhabitants of this earth. Pakistan is amongst the worst sufferers to cope with the environmental issues and it is one of those countries which have been poorly affected by the climate change.

It is obligatory for developed as well as developing countries to address this matter gravelly and to look over the issue and take measures to muddle through the results of global warming. But it is lamentable that the developed countries like US, Russia and Australia responsible for CO2 emission did not show the commitment required in the Kyoto protocol.

The emergent nations have not been given any binding targets but still they are under the obligation to lessen the emission.

It is undoubtedly encouraging to see that Pakistan is one of those countries that realize the earnest and insistent necessity of this matter and is aware of the impacts of climate change, so it made an unparalleled allegiance in the form of Clean and Green Campaign.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government has taken several initiatives and has launched a number of campaigns and development projects to combat atmospheric conditions, such as Clean and Green Pakistan and the Billion Tree Tsunami Campaign. The current government is also looking forward to introduce electric cars to reduce pollutant emissions.

The emergent nations have not been given any binding targets but still they are under the obligation to lessen the emissions

The main purpose of Clean and Green Campaign is to create awareness among people regarding environmental issues. In this campaign cities will be judged on different criteria. The campaign stands on five pillars and two of them are safe water and total sanitation. Access to improved sanitation and safe drinking water are indeed the basic components and a need of every citizen but in Pakistan and to a great sorrow and distress, ‘Islamabad-the beautiful’ is also facing this challenge.

In the federal capital of Pakistan disparities still do exist. There is a mushroom growth of slums across Islamabad. The growth of slums in sectoral urban regions of the capital is because of the migration of people from Northern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Slums are settled on the banks of nullahs due to which poor hygiene and contaminated water are the issues faced by the dwellers of squalid of this class-divided city. According to a report by UNICEF about 20-40 percent of patients admitted in the hospitals of Pakistan are sufferers of waterborne diseases.

Government has taken a laudable initiative to fight environmental degradation but this fight should not remain limited to the posh areas of the cities of Pakistan.

There are around 20 slums in the capital. They are established in most of the sectors of Islamabad like F-6, F-7, G-8, G-6, H-9, H-10, I-10, I-11. People living in these areas face a lot of problems in their daily lives. They lack basic amenities and are not recognised and notified by the government. Seeing the condition of slum dwellers of Islamabad, one is impelled to think about the basic needs these people lack. Despite high claims of “Clean and Green Pakistan” it seems that the government has nothing to do with the cleaning of the squalid. Polluted water is causing dangerous diseases among the inhabitants, such as skin cancer, diarrhoea and hepatitis C.

Lifting of garbage strewn, its proper disposal, access to clean water, proper sanitation, and good living conditions are the responsibilities, which need to be performed by the government authorities. It is no wonder that the residents of slums depend on their own efforts in bringing the environmental changes in their marginalized areas. The government has responsibilities towards its citizens but it failed to fulfil its duties towards the marginalized communities and always disregarded them, that is why their socio-economic condition is getting worse day by day.

Poor is getting poorer in Pakistan. They only have one way of voicing their opinion and that is through electoral elections. But politicians forget their constituencies after every election campaign and the disadvantaged areas of Islamabad is one example of this matter. It’s saddening to see that the people of slums do not get adequate amount of facilities, as people living in sectors get and it goes without saying that the government is responsible for this poverty and lack of basic facilities.

Alas! Urban peripheries of capital are highly neglected by government and even in Clean and Green campaign these areas are not considered. And one is compelled to say that if the capital is overlooked regarding cleanliness, then what to say about the small towns.

The writer works at the Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad. She can be reached at itssana87@gmail.com